In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court has upheld the ban on the survey of the Shahi Idgah Mosque adjacent to the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple in Mathura. The Court has scheduled the next hearing for November 18.
During today’s proceedings, the Supreme Court noted that the Allahabad High Court had deemed all related cases suitable for hearing. The Court will proceed with further hearings only after reviewing the High Court’s order. Justices Sanjeev Khanna and Sanjay Kumar emphasized that both parties must be heard before any further legal action is taken.
The dispute involves the Muslim side challenging the Allahabad High Court’s decision to transfer 18 related cases from lower courts for consolidated hearing. On August 1, the High Court ruled these petitions fit for review. Previously, the Supreme Court had denied a request from the Muslim side to halt the transfer of these cases.
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Caveat Filed
In a related development, Hindu side lawyer Vishnu Shankar Jain has filed a second caveat with the Supreme Court regarding the Mathura Janmabhoomi and Idgah dispute. This follows a similar caveat filed earlier by Vishnu Gupta, President of the National Hindu Army. Both caveats request that no orders be made without hearing their arguments if the Shahi Idgah Committee or other petitioners challenge the Allahabad High Court’s decision to hear the 18 petitions collectively.
Additionally, the Supreme Court has stayed the Allahabad High Court’s order for a survey of the Shahi Idgah Mosque Complex, which was scheduled for December 14, 2023. The High Court had also paused the appointment of a court commissioner for this survey.
Hindu parties involved in the case argue that there are historical signs within the mosque complex indicating it was originally a temple. The dispute, which parallels the Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi temple controversy, centers on calls for constructing a grand temple at the Mathura site.
